Early Language and Mental Health Cascades in Preadolescents With and Without History of Late Talking

This study compared mental health outcomes in preadolescents with and without a history of late talking (HLT) to determine whether outcomes cascade from early language ability, considering ecological and early mental health factors.

We included 52 Mandarin-speaking preadolescents (100% Han Chinese) 9-11 years of age: 26 with HLT (M = 10.15 years, SD = 0.34; 20 boys, six girls) and 26 without HLT (M = 10.20 years, SD = 0.38; 17 boys, nine girls). Both groups had comparable nonverbal cognitive abilities (p = .721). The mental health outcomes assessed, based on parents' reports and participants' performance in laboratory tasks, included conceptual learning for adaptation, competence and emotion, self-regulation, and autism-like characteristics. Early language ability was assessed during toddlerhood (24-32 months of age) and the preschool period (48-57 months of age).

Preadolescents with HLT performed worse in conceptual learning, self-regulation, and social functioning than those without HLT ([Formula: see text]s = .08-.20), indicating medium-to-large effect sizes. These three domains were associated with early language ability, showing moderate correlations (rs = .31-.52 or -.28 to -.41).

Preadolescents with HLT had more mental health problems than those without HLT, which was linked to early language abilities. Their mental health should be understood from a developmental cascade perspective, emphasizing early identification and intervention, starting in childhood. Monitoring mental health may be particularly important during the transition to formal schooling.